each our destination, Port Dickson. The
mast-tops of the _Express_ were seen projecting over islands to the
north, and both vessels soon anchored south of an island which was
supposed to be Dickson's Island, but when the _Fraser_ soon after
joined us we learned that this was a mistake. The shore, which, seen
from our first anchorage, appeared to be that of the mainland,
belonged in fact to the pretty extensive island, off which the haven
itself is situated.

After an excursion on land, in the course of which a covey of
partridges was seen, and Dr. Kjellman on the diorite rocks of the
island made a pretty abundant collection of plants, belonging partly
to species which he had not before met with in the Arctic regions,
we again weighed anchor in order to remove to the proper harbour.

Captain Palander went before in the steam launch in order to examine
the yet unsurveyed fairway. On the way he fell in with and killed a
bear, an exceedingly fat and large male. Like the bear Dr. Theel
shot here in 1875, he had only mosses and lichens in his stomach,
and as it is scarcely probable that the bear in this region can
catch a great many seals in summer, it is to be supposed that his
food consists principally of vegetable substances, with the addition
perhaps of a reindeer or two when he can succeed in getting hold of
them. In the year 1875 we saw here an old male bear that appeared to
pasture quite peaceably in company with some reindeer, probably with
a view to get near enough to spring upon them. Bears must besides be
very common in that part of the north coast of Siberia, for during
the few days we now remained there, two more were shot, both of them
very fat.

The haven, which has now been surveyed by Lieutenant Bove, was
discovered by me in 1875 and named Port Dickson. It is the best
known haven on the whole north coast of Asia, and will certainly in
the future be of great importance for the foreign commerce of
Siberia. It is surrounded on all sides by rocky islands, and is thus
completely sheltered. The anchorage is a good clay bottom. The haven
may be entered both from the north and from the south-west; but in
sailing in, caution should be used, because some rocky shoals may be
met with which are not shown on Lieutenant Bove's sketch chart,
which was made in the greatest haste. The water probably varies
considerably as to its salinity with the season of the year and with
ebb and flood tides, but is never, even at the s